An Allentown teen yesterday pleaded guilty to 34 counts of burglary and related charges in connection with a rash of burglaries in the city earlier this year.

President Judge John E. Backenstoe denied a request to reduce the $8,000 bail for Raymond Strauss, 16, and Strauss was returned to Lehigh County Prison where he has been held since May 3.

Robert Long, representing Strauss, asked the court to lower bail, saying Strauss could live with his parents at 1623 1/2 Utica St.

The bail reduction was opposed by Assistant District Attorney Glenn Clark.

In addition to the burglaries, Strauss also pleaded guilty to escaping on March 23 while he was in the custody of the Lehigh County Juvenile Detention Home.

Strauss reportedly escaped from detention home workers when he was at Allentown Hospital.

The escape occurred before his certification hearing in Lehigh County Court on March 28 in which he was ordered to be tried as an adult and found to be not amenable to treatment in juvenile facilities.

Edward Grainger of the detention home said Strauss tried to escape from the detention home two days after the hearing.

"He taught the rest of those kids out there how to kick doors open," he said.

Strauss later was taken to the prison because of misconduct at the detention home.

Backenstoe scheduled sentencing for Sept. 6.

Grainger told the judge he thought Strauss had attained "a degree of maturity" since being in prison but said he feared the youth "has learned how a prison population settles its scores."

Long said he wanted to get Strauss out of prison "so he doesn't learn more prison ways."

Lt. Joan Hausman of the Allentown Police Department said she was concerned that Strauss would be influenced by his girlfriend, who ran away from a juvenile institution July 5.

Strauss was charged with theft, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief in connection with the Feb. 28 theft of $600 worth of tools from the car of Dale Rice when it was parked on Tilghman Street.

He was charged with receiving stolen property in connection with the break-in of the The Video Station in Allentown on March 2.